Haryana teacher’s death sparks outrage in Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri; Mobile internet suspended for 48 hours

The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra, cited 'apprehension' of tension, annoyance, agitation and damage to public and private property in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts.

The Haryana government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of mobile internet, bulk SMS and dongle services in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts for 48 hours amid public outrage over the death of a 19-year-old teacher, PTI reported.

According to PTI, Manisha’s body was found in a field in Bhiwani on August 13. She had gone missing on August 11 after leaving school, purportedly to inquire about admission at a nursing college.

On Monday, police claimed that, based on their investigation, the teenager died by suicide after ingesting poison, PTI reported.

On Tuesday, her father, Sanjay, in Bhiwani, rejected the finding and refused to cremate the body, demanding "justice." "The administration is saying that my daughter committed suicide. But I can say that she can never commit suicide. I want justice," Sanjay told PTI.

While protests over the teacher’s death continued and political leaders entered the fray alleging a breakdown of law and order, the emergence of a “suicide note” in the case on Monday turned the investigation on its head, PTI said.

Bhiwani Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar told PTI that the note was recovered near Manisha’s body in a bag, which also contained her Aadhaar card and other documents. He said there was also evidence of Manisha buying insecticide.

"In the viscera sample, the presence of insecticide has been confirmed in the body. So, there is self-purchase, there is a suicide note, there is poison in the body," he told PTI.

Police also told PTI that the post-mortem reports have ruled out the possibility of any sexual assault. A chemical, organophosphorus, was found in her intestine and kidney, which was likely the cause of death, an officer said.

Meanwhile, villagers questioned the latest findings and continued to block a key road in Bhiwani in protest, PTI reported. They said Manisha’s cremation would not take place till justice was delivered. The mounting tension led to the deployment of additional police forces in the area.

PTI reported that the government’s order on the suspension of services did not specifically mention the teacher’s death. The order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra, cited “apprehension” of tension, annoyance, agitation and damage to public and private property in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts.

It also warned against the spread of misinformation and rumours through platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and SMS for the mobilisation of mobs of agitators. According to the notification, the suspension will remain in force from 11 am on August 19 till 11 am on August 21.

The opposition, meanwhile, criticised the BJP-led Haryana government, alleging that the case reflected a collapse of law and order under its rule. PTI quoted Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda as saying that the role of the state government and police had been negligent and irresponsible, and that an "unfortunate attempt is being made to prove the whole case as a suicide."